Last Dance
by DarkSecretKeeper
Summary: Maes and Roy have a small and old tradition going back to when they were lovers, but is it time to let go?


**I was actually never going to post this but mebh made me =_= so here you go...if you don't like it bully her. JOKES HAHA enjoy!**

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Mustang fiddled with the champagne flute in his hand. He was nervously awaiting their moment, their tradition. The ball room was stunning, the multiple swirling colours of all the women's dresses as they danced with their lucky partners. Even the music was seeping into him as his foot absently tapped in time with the rhythm. He was stood next to Havoc and Breda as they chatted nonchalantly about the various women they had seen and how shocked they'd been at Riza. Yes, Riza had looked stunning when she'd appeared in the ballroom earlier that evening. She'd been wearing a long deep red dress that fitted her curves perfectly down to her lower waist before flaring out and her hair was elegantly pinned and curled. He'd asked her to dance and she had happily obliged him, he could have loved her. Riza was everything he wanted and needed in a woman and he could so easily have loved her. There was just one problem. Roy didn't have any heart left to give because of _Him_.

Roy grew more nervous and aggravated and he was beginning to struggle to contain it. He tried hard to keep his demeanour cool and to look slightly bored with the whole façade of the military ball but his eyes kept flickering to the clock and the band. It was ten minutes to eleven...just five more minutes before he could excuse himself to the bathroom and then slip out of the ballroom. He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet, his eyes darted up and scanned the mirage of colors and music as he sought him out.

Maes was stood beside his wife, lieutenant Hawkeye and Second Lieutenant Ross, the women were good friends with Gracia and they were both eager to discuss Gracia's growing stomach. Maes watched his wife affectionately, to him there was not a soul more radiant or as a beautiful as his pregnant wife in this whole room...well, maybe one, and with that thought he glanced up to the clock – seven minutes to eleven.

"So can you feel it kicking yet?" asked Maria curiously bringing Maes back to the conversation at hand.

Gracia smiled and rubbed her belly beneath the satin fabric of her gown, "yes and they choose to kick at the most opportune moments, such as when I'm trying to sleep!" The women continued to laugh and giggle about the baby, asking if they had painted the nursery yet or what names they had considered. His mind began to wander again before his wife brought him abruptly back to reality, "Maes?"

"Yes, dear?" he said, still slightly distracted. Four minutes to eleven. He was late.

"Names? What was that name you wanted for a little girl?" she smiled at him and his heart leapt as the music began to slow and change to a different song. The eleven o'clock waltz. Their song.

"Oh, Elysia..."

"That was it!" Her brow suddenly creased watching him, "Are you OK dear?"

Maes cleared his throat and smiled at her reassuringly, "Of course, I just remembered that I left some important documents on my desk...I'm going to go fetch them before they lock up the offices before midnight." He leant in and kissed Gracia lovingly on the lips, lingering just long enough to rid her of any doubt he was coming back as soon as possible.

Roy had already excused himself and was now walking hurriedly down the darkened hallway into the depths of headquarters. He stopped outside the room he'd booked. He'd booked it for an early meeting tomorrow morning, the meeting wasn't that important but because it would be early the desk clerk had given him the key that evening. He pushed it into the lock, trying to avoid the fact his hands were quivering in anticipation. He had waited all year for this.

Maes started pulling his constrictive black bow tie off as he approached the room number that Roy had scribbled in the note he'd left on his desk. He got to the large heavy door marked 'conference room 12' and glanced around apprehensively for anyone watching. He then turned the shiny handle and entered the darkened room, shutting it silently behind him.

"You're late," came a voice in the darkness behind him. Maes turned and saw Roy sat in the large chair at the end of an oblong marble table. He'd already removed his tuxedo jacket and bow tie and was sat back lazily smirking. Maes gave him and apologetic grin and laid his jacket and bow tie next to Roy's on the table.

The room was far enough away from the ballroom that no one could accidentally walk in or past but it was close enough that they could still hear the music. The eleven o'clock waltz was their song. The song they danced to every year at the annual military ball. The nine minute melodic tune that drifted down the hallway gave them a few moments to be Roy and Maes again. To just hold one another and pretend that they were still two young academy soldiers that had accidentally fallen in love.

Maes slowly walked up beside Roy and held out a hand, Roy looked up at him and slipped his soft fingers into the older man's palm and got up. Maes pulled him softly against his body and let his other arm curl around the alchemist's waist. Roy laid his head against Maes' shoulder as their feet began to move independently to the music. It was a slow dance, only the minimal of movements but it wasn't about the dancing for the two former lovers. Roy's had reached up and fisted in Maes' dress shirt on his right shoulder.

Nothing was spoken in those first few moments. Nothing needed to be said. Roy knew Maes loved him and Maes knew that Roy loved him. They realised how much the other missed them and any words spoken would just ruin the fragility of their little fantasy that they constructed every year at eleven o'clock at the military ball. They'd never told anyone of their love or of their little tradition, it was their little secret.

Maes had created it to help Roy. He'd taken losing his lover particularly hard. Maes had found it difficult to let Roy go and there were moments when he'd seriously considered, in the depths of a dark night, running to his house for a touch or kiss but he'd had Gracia to help him. His beautiful, wonderful and pregnant wife. Roy hadn't had anyone, and although he'd understood Maes' craving for a family, a public relationship, stood at the alter to support his friend as the best man and even organised the best stag night in history (thanks to his contacts with Madam Christmas), Maes had still discovered Roy drunk stupid at the end of his wedding reception muttering something about a broken heart and he'd still been drunk when Maes had returned from his honeymoon. These little dances, this little slice of time where Roy and Maes could just pretend nothing had changed, stopped Roy from plummeting into despair. It was something to look forward to, a small shot of hope.

Roy pulled back slightly from his place on Maes' shoulder and looked at him. Critrine eyes met ebony black ones and Roy gave him a very small sad smile, he then leant in and they kissed delicately and tenderly. Maes gave him a smile and rested his forehead on his, taking a deep breath so as to let everything about Roy pervade his being. Drinking him in so he could revisit these moment's when he missed him the most.

"Maes!" They both froze. Gracia's voice called down the corridor, she didn't know where they were or even that they were together, she was obviously just innocently looking for her husband. Maes began to break away from Roy but he was stopped when both Roy's fists gathered in his dress shirt.

"Tell her to go away," he pleaded in a harsh whisper.

Maes' eyes widened, "But Ro-"

"No!" Mustang hissed, looking even more desperate, "I get you for nine minutes. Nine fucking minutes! Your all hers for the rest of the year and I don't complain but these are _MY _nine minutes and...and..." Maes didn't catch the rest as Roy's breath hitched and cracked due to suppressed sobs.

Maes' heart broke there watching as Mustang dipped his face in the darkness of the conference room to try and hide the silent tears on his cheeks. Gracia had ruined something for Roy...again. Maes wrapped his arms around Roy and cradled him gently, "I'm so, so sorry, Roy." He cooed gently into his thick mop of black hair before kissing and then pulling away and leaving Roy stood there, alone.

"It's fine," Roy muttered defeatedly, "I understand, she's pregnant so she probably needs to go home or something."

"Maes? Are you down here?" came another call causing both men to wince slightly.

"I think we should stop," came Mustang's soft voice, whispered into the darkness.

Maes looked at him, taken aback by the sudden addition, "What do you mean?" He gathered up his bow tie and jacket and stared at Roy.

"I mean you're married and you're going to have a baby soon...babies take up a lot of time and I doubt you'll be able to make it to balls or parties," Roy swallowed, "I think we should stop and focus on our lives. I think this may be holding us back."

"It's nine minutes, Roy!" Maes pleaded, trying to keep his voice low in case Gracia heard them.

Roy shook his head, "It isn't Maes and you know it. This...this stays with us, we carry it and just when we're about to break free another ball comes around and we're back here, clinging to one another in the dark and pretending."

Maes was silent, not denying Roy's words. He walked over to where Roy still stood motionlessly and lifted his chin with his hand so the alchemist was looking at him. Maes leaned in and gave him one last passionate and heated kiss. Roy instantly returned it, his hands resting gently on Maes' chest.

"Maes?" came another call from the corridor, except closer this time.

Maes pulled away, savouring the nectar on his lips before opening his eyes and looking directly at Roy, "I love you."

"I love you to," Roy said breathlessly. Then Maes turned and left the room silently to tend to his wife. Roy stood there silently for a second and then collapsed in a chair not bothering to control the torrent of tears down his cheeks as he lost Maes for the second time.


End file.
